September 26, 2015 -- With input from newly-retained consultant Alan Johnson, Steve Torrence and crew chief Richard Hogan took the Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster to the No. 1 qualifying position Saturday in advance of Sunday eliminations in the 18th annual AAA Insurance Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park.

Torrence stopped the 1,000 foot timers in a career best 3.718 seconds at 328.22 miles per hour on the last of his four qualifying attempts. He now has posted the four quickest runs of his career in the last three months. His best previous efforts was 3.732. He also had run 3.733 and 3.734 this year.

“That puts us close to the 3.60s and that’s where we had to be to be a contender,” Torrence beamed. “That’s what happens when you have Alan and Hogan working together. They’re buds. They go way back and you could almost see the wheels turning in their heads. That’s exactly why we made the move (to hire Johnson, whose drivers have won 11 of the last 17 NHRA Top Fuel championships).”

For the 32-year-old cancer survivor, it was his fifth career No. 1 but his first in almost 18 months. The last time he started from the front of the field was April 26, 2014 at the O’Reilly Spring Nationals at Houston, Texas.

A semifinalist at last year’s Midwest Nationals, Torrence will start Sunday in a first round match with rookie Kyle Wurtzel, who snuck into the field as the No. 16 qualifier.

Meanwhile, Steve’s father, Billy Torrence, put the second Capco entry in the No. 14 spot and will line up for Sunday’s first round against three-time world champion Larry Dixon.